This invention relates to protective equipment, like the kind used in football and ice hockey. In particular, the invention relates to the attachment of cushions, which are relatively soft, to an outer shell of relatively hard material.
Shoulder, elbow and various other padding is required for the protection of athletes who participate in sports where substantial impact can be expected. For many years, shoulder pads and the like have been made of a rigid outer shell, the underside of which is covered with a soft cushion. In many such pads, the soft cushion and rigid shell were permanently attached to one another. More recently, systems have been devised whereby hook-and-loop strapping (e.g. Velcro.RTM. straps) are used to connect the cushion to the rigid shell of a shoulder pad. The use of hook-and-loop fasteners allows for the separation of the shoulder pad components so that they may be cleaned and repaired more easily. Examples of such systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,681 to Kirkland, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,901 to Donzis. The Kirkland device shows a system in which a hook-and-loop strap is sewn to one surface of a cushion by the use of a "doubler" which reinforces the fabric which forms the outer surface of the pad. In the Kirkland patent, one of the connections shown includes a single strap, the opposite ends of which extend through two parallel slots formed in the shell.
In the Donzis system, a single strap extends through a single slot formed near an edge of the shell of the pad. In the Donzis system, the connections are disposed at generally diametrically opposed edge locations to provide stability to the overall interconnection between the shell and the pad.
Problems which exist with respect to the prior art techniques for removably attaching cushions to shells include the fact that with some systems, two hands are required to tightly pull the cushion against the underside of the shell. Another difficulty relates to obtaining proper alignment, for example, when the straps extend over the edge of the shell. A further potential problem with prior art techniques relates to the fact that once the hook-and-loop surfaces are no longer engaged, the shell and cushion are quite easily separated. Still another difficulty relates to the manner by which the strap is fastened to the cushion. While the use of a reinforcement under the outer fabric may prevent the strap from being torn from the outer fabric of the cushion, attachment of the strap to only the outer fabric and its reinforcement means that the foam core and the inner fabric are only indirectly connected to the shell.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a more effective attachment for use in connecting a cushion to an outer shell of a piece of protective equipment.
Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment means for protective equipment which can be completed by using one hand.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a hook-and-loop fastening system for protective equipment which is more secure and more difficult to detach than prior art fastening techniques.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention are achieved with a fastening arrangement whereby a single strap is attached at one of its ends to a cushion, and the strap is wound through a series of three openings in a shell. The strap has mating hook-and-loop fastening surfaces disposed on the same side of the strap, one hook or loop surface at approximately the free end of the strap, and a mating hook or loop surface nearer the end of the strap which is attached to the cushion. The cushion includes a small transverse strap located a short distance away from the location where the main strap is connected to the cushion. The main strap extends from beneath the shell through a first slot in the shell across the outer surface of the shell back through a second slot in the shell and under the small transverse strap. The main strap then extends through a third slot and back upon itself so that the mating hook-and-loop surfaces can engage one another. The fastening of the present invention can be completed with one hand, i.e. the user can simply pull on the free end of the main strap and press it against itself.